Artists - S

Michael Sailstorfer (Germany)

Born in 1979 in Bayern, Germany. Lives and works in Munich.

Sculptor and three-dimensional artist. In Sailstorfer’s
three-dimensional art, he breathes new life into familiar items
that feature in everyday life by placing them into a totally
different context. In one example, he assembles a city street
air outlet and then holds a performance recreating the famous
scene from Marilyn Monroe’s film. He submitted work to
the Sydney Biennale and “Manifesta 5” (San Sebastian)
in 2004.

Hiraki Sawa (Japan)

Born
in 1977 in Ishikawa, Japan. Lives and works in London.

Sawa – who studied sculpture at the School of Visual
Arts, University of East London and completed a MA in Fine
Art at the Slade School of Fine Art – uses computer
graphics editing software to create humorous Science Fiction-like
films. In Dwelling, a miniature version of a large
passenger plane glides over the floor and bed inside an ordinary-looking
room of an apartment and takes off into the air. This is followed
by a series of planes, and eventually the entire room is filled
with flying planes. This hallucinatory scene conveys an appropriate
degree of relaxation and a pop sensibility that suggests new
possibilities for video art.
Major exhibitions include the Lyon Biennale (2003) and “Have
We Met?” (The Japan Foundation Forum, Tokyo, 2005).

Tino Sehgal (UK / Germany)

Born in 1976 in London, UK. Lives and works in Berlin.

Born to an Indian father and German mother, Tino Sehgal,
who embarked on his artistic career in 2002, is a relative
newcomer on the art scene. Major exhibitions to date include
“Utopia Station” at the 2003 Venice Biennale and
solo exhibitions at the Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven and at
the
Institute of Contemporary Art, London in 2005. His work was
also represented in the German Pavilion at the 2005 Venice
Biennale.
In a venue such as an exhibition room the visitor normally
expects to see something material. Sehgal’s work, however,
consists of temporary elements such as choreographed speech
and body movement. Sehgal’s work at the German Pavilion
in this year’s Venice Biennale is comprised of two parts.
In one security guards carry out the work, and in the other,
the men and women who walk into the exhibition room are questioned
about the market economy, the dominant topic of contemporary
society.

Shintai Hyougen circle (Japan)

Formed
in 2002 in Hiroshima, Japan.

With Yutaka Joraku in a pivotal role, Shintai Hyogen circle
fluidly changes ensemble members in respopnse to the conditions
of the performance site. Beginning with one-off performances
at Hiroshima City University parties, Shintai Hyougen circle
was formed by Yutaka Joraku in 2002 after a process of trial
and error in search of a pure avenue of physical expression.
Has since participated in numerous dance competitions. Joraku
always collaborates with other dancers in their performances
that feature almost-humorous movements and gestures by physically
throwing themselves at each other or through group gymnastic-like
physical entanglement. It is Shintai Hyougen circle’s
lack of facial expression – their performances which,
though physical, do not convey any sense of physicality –
that makes this collective so original. Has recently participated
in “Contemporary Dance in Shinsekai” (Osaka), “Toyota
Choreography Award 2004 – NEXTAGE (Next Stage, Next Age)”
(Tokyo) and “Azumabashi Dance Crossing” (Tokyo).

The SINE WAVE ORCHESTRA (Japan)

Formed in Tokyo in 2002.

Utilizing sine waves - sound without any distortion and representing
a single frequency - the four core members of The SINE WAVE
ORCHESTRA carry out performances in which members of the general
public participate. These four members also hold live performances
as The SINE WAVE QUARTETTE. The SINE WAVE ORCHESTRA initially
began with live performances together with invited participants
such as club DJ’s. Over time, however, the orchestra began
featuring personal computers that people in the audience brought
with them or equipment and devices that the orchestra’s
members developed, so that the format that was eventually adopted
was that anyone could freely participate in the ‘orchestra’.
There is only one condition in The SINE WAVE ORCHESTRA’s
performances - each participant must somehow ‘use’
a single sine wave. Its works are therefore totally dependent
on people and in this sense The SINE WAVE ORCHESTRA can be likened
to a community. In this orchestra’s performances, a sonic
space with a painterly quality is created as a result of the
fluctuation generated by the interference between multiple sine
waves and the change in sounds that are dependant on changes
in environmental sounds and resonance.

SOI Project (Thailand)

A project designed specifically for Yokohama 2005.

“SOI” means “alley” in Thai, and
the focus of this project is to convey how the artists that
gather on the corner of a soi in inner Bangkok straddle
different genres in their art. “SOI” is comprised
of young Thai artists that include the principal member,
filmmaker
Wit Pimkanchanapong (born in 1976 in Thailand, Bangkok. Lives
and works in Bangkok) as well as animation artist
and musician Wisut
Ponnimit (born
in 1976 in Thailand. Lives
and works in Kobe), Pinaree Sanpitak (born in 1961 in
Bangkok, Thailand. Lives and works in Bangkok), Udom Taepanich
(born in 1968 in Thailand. Lives and Works in Bangkok)
and three-dimensional artist Angkrit Ajchariyasophon (born
in
1976 in Thailand. Lives and works in
Chang Rai). Work by each artist will be on exhibit, while
a music event will also be featured. The SOI Project will
be a visualization of Bangkok’s contemporary art scene
in which artists while influenced by Western culture, connect
through music and art to develop a unique venue of expression.

Beat Streuli (Switzerland)

Born
in 1957 in Altdorf, Switzerland. Lives and works in Dusseldorf.

Specializes in photographs in which Streuli captures, through
a telescopic lens, the faces of people in urban spaces who
are unaware that they are being photographed, as well as installations
in which an LCD projector is used to project Streuli’s
portraits onto a large screen. Through these works utilizing
different media to portray the everyday lives of people, Streuli
succeeds in presenting the many different aspects of urban
life. Solo exhibitions include the exhibitions held at the
Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 1999 and the Palais
de Tokyo in 2002, while his work has also been shown in major
international exhibitions.